NOTE: Nobody reads this blog. But . . .
For today, links to SIXTEEN-plus reports, commentaries, analyses and interviews (at least 20): from the Associated Press, National Public Radio, the Cradle, Middle East Eye, MintPress News, Consortium News, CGTN America, VRIC Media and Substack; other published material is accessible by clicking on their names or initials as highlighted. (Scroll down for IRAN 3-14-26.)
Gulf Arab states intercept new missiles and drones as Iran threatens to widen the war, by Sam Metz, Samy Magdy and Julia Frankel | AP CAIRO — Gulf Arab states reported new missile and drone attacks today after Iran threatened to widen its campaign and called for the evacuation of three major ports in the United Arab Emirates as the war in the Middle East, now in its third week, expands further. READ MORE . . . Click HERE for same AP report in Spanish, and HERE for others.
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Trump is threatening to bomb oil facilities on Iran’s Kharg Island. Ayesha Rascoe of NPR speaks with Djavad Salehi-Isfahani, professor of Economics at Virginia Tech, about the potential impact of a strike on oil facilities on Iran’s Kharg Island. Click HERE to listen and, later, read, and HERE for all five or so Iran war-related reports on NPR’s “Weekend Edition” this morning.
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Israel ‘running low’ on ballistic missile interceptors: report. From the Cradle. Israel informed the US this week that it is running critically low on ballistic missile interceptors, as Israel’s long-range defense system comes under strain from Iran’s attacks, Semafor reported today, citing U.S. officials. READ MORE . . .
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FROM MARCH 14 President Trump orders a Marine rapid response force to Middle East. Jane Arraf of NPR spoke from the city of Erbil in the Kurdistan region of Iraq, on developments in the war in the Middle East. Click HERE to listen and read.
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FROM MARCH 14 Tehran claims the U.S. attacked it from the UAE as Iran war enters its third week, by Jon Gambrell, Sam Mednick, Konstantin Toropin and Samy Magdy | AP DUBAI — Iran urged people Saturday to evacuate the Middle East’s busiest port and two others in the United Arab Emirates, openly threatening a neighboring country’s non-U.S. assets for the first time as its war with the United States and Israel entered a third week. READ MORE . . . Click HERE for same AP report in Spanish, and HERE for others.
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U.S., Israel using Shahed-inspired LUCAS drone for ‘false flags’ across region: Iran FM. From the Cradle. Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said today the U.S. has been using its new Lucas drone — modeled after the Iranian Shahed — to carry out false flag attacks in the region and attribute them to the Islamic Republic. READ MORE . . .
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Iran denies responsibility for drone attacks on Iraqi oil refinery and elsewhere. From Middle East Eye. Iran denied responsibility for a drone attack on the Lanaz oil refinery in Iraq’s Kurdish region, Iranian media reported, citing an informed security source. READ MORE . . .
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FROM MARCH 14 Iran mulls allowing tankers through Strait of Hormuz if trade conducted in yuan: report. From the Cradle. Iran is considering allowing a “limited number” of oil tankers to pass through the Strait of Hormuz on the condition that the oil cargo is traded in Chinese yuan, CNN reported on Saturday. READ MORE . . .
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FROM MARCH 13 EU states seek ‘talks’ with Iran for access to Strait of Hormuz: report. From the Cradle. European countries have been reaching out to Iran for negotiations to allow their vessels to pass safely through the Strait of Hormuz, informed sources told the Financial Times. READ MORE . . .
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FROM MARCH 14 U.S. Embassy in Baghdad again urges Americans to leave Iraq as Trump touts strikes on Iran. From NPR. The U.S. Embassy in Baghdad once more renewed a call for Americans to leave Iraq, after a drone strike hit the embassy compound in the capital’s heavily guarded Green Zone. Also on Saturday President Trump asserted that the U.S. military had “destroyed 100% of Iran’s Military capability,” and that . . . READ MORE . . .
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FROM MARCH 14 Iranians grapple with whether to flee the country because of the war, by Sam McNeil and Serra Yedikardes | AP KAPIKOY BORDER CROSSING, Turkey — Some of the 3.2 million people the UN refugee agency estimates have been displaced are seeking shelter in safer parts of Iran or one of its neighboring countries; others are returning from abroad, heading toward the fighting to protect their families and homes. READ MORE . . .
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FROM MARCH 14 Tehran claims the U.S. attacked it from the UAE as Iran war enters its third week, by Jon Gambrell, Sam Mednick, Konstantin Toropin and Samy Magdy | AP DUBAI — Iran urged people Saturday to evacuate the Middle East’s busiest port and two others in the United Arab Emirates, openly threatening a neighboring country’s non-U.S. assets for the first time as its war with the United States and Israel entered a third week. READ MORE . . . Click HERE for same AP report in Spanish, and HERE for others.
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FROM MARCH 14 U.S. Embassy in Baghdad again urges Americans to leave Iraq as Trump touts strikes on Iran. From NPR. The U.S. Embassy in Baghdad once more renewed a call for Americans to leave Iraq, after a drone strike hit the embassy compound in the capital’s heavily guarded Green Zone. Also on Saturday President Trump asserted that the U.S. military had “destroyed 100% of Iran’s Military capability,” and that . . . READ MORE . . .
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U.S. energy producers earning ‘billions’ amid rising oil prices due to war on Iran: report. From the Cradle. U.S. oil companies are expected to receive a windfall of more than $60bn this year if crude prices remain high in response to the U.S.-Israeli war on Iran, the Financial Times reported today. READ MORE . . .
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FROM MARCH 12 Iran strikes U.S. 5th Fleet base, Bahrain erupts in uprising & and Saudi forces move to crush dissent, by Robert Inlakesh | MintPress News With round the clock missile and drone strikes, civil unrest, damage to vital infrastructure and even rumors that its leader has fled, chaos has characterized the state of affairs in Bahrain. READ MORE . . .
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Four interviews: with former CIA officer John Kiriakou HERE; with Professor Jeffrey Sachs of Columbia University HERE; with retired U.S. Army Col. Douglas Macgregor HERE; and with Professor John Mearsheimer of the University of Chicago, HERE.
(Kiriakou spoke with Joe Lauria of Consortium News last night, Sachs with Anand Naidoo of CGTN America yesterday, Macgregor with Darrell Thomas of VRIC Media yesterday, and Mearsheimer with Chris Hedges of the Chris Hedges Report on Wednesday.)